Top Recruits Reveal Whether They'd Want To Play For Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick is now the head coach at the University of North Carolina, one of the most stunning story lines of the college football season.
Whether it works out or not remains an open question, with valid opinions on either side of the debate.
But what isn't a question is that Belichick brings some much-needed excitement and an unmatched NFL track record. That's all well and good, but how important will it actually be for recruiting? Especially for high schoolers, who were young children during the peak era of the New England Patriots dynasty.
The Athletic asked some of them, trying to get an answer to whether Belichick's history would be enough to make them want to play in Chapel Hill.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Head Coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels poses with Athletic director Bubba Cunningham during a press conference on December 12, 2024. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Bill Belichick Could Grab Recruits Thanks To NFL Success
One of the top recruits in the 2026 class, Aiden Harris, plays about two hours away from the North Carolina campus. And Harris' coach recently asked him whether he'd like to play for Belichick at UNC or not.
"I mean, yeah," said Harris, who told The Athletic that he's now narrowing his list of top schools. "He’s the type of coach that a lot of players would want to be around and I would really include myself in that.
"If they can get on the right winning path and get the players to the league, I’d really consider that."
Andy Capone, Harris' coach, said he hopes to meet Belichick if his team advances to the next round of their high school playoffs.
"Hopefully (Belichick) is there if we get by Grimsley. I’ll be, probably, starstruck," Capone said. "There’s some coaches who just hold a different weight and he’s definitely one of them."
"Hearing it all initially without truly being educated on what his full plan is, I think that recruits in general and everybody will be very fired up to go play for him," Milton High School (GA) coach Ben Reaves Jr. said. "I think people will buy into the fact of, ‘Hey if I go play for Coach, he can get me to the NFL. The key is, within two or three years, he’s gotta have the data to show that he’s getting guys drafted. The only way to do that is he’s gotta hit the portal hard, immediately."
UNC's lone 2026 commit, quarterback Zaid Lott, said he's thrilled to be able to play under Belichick moving forward.
"It’s a privilege and a blessing to be able to get coached by an NFL, Hall of Fame-level talent like coach Bill Belichick," Lott said, adding that Belichick’s work with Tom Brady is particularly enticing. "Being able to meet him as somebody I’ve seen on my TV all these past years from the Super Bowl, it’s going to be very exciting."
Most opinions seem to be somewhere in the middle; yes Belichick will be able to recruit more heavily at the top end of the recruiting class thanks to his NFL success. But unless the results start showing up quickly, his track record in New England won't matter much.
It's more possible now to turn a program around quickly than it's ever been thanks to the portal. But it's still going to be an uphill battle considering UNC's roster leaves much to be desired and Belichick's willingness to recruit high schools across the country is uncertain, to say the least.
Still, it sounds like it won't be hard for him to get high school coaches on board. They remember the Patriots' dynasty in a way 17-year-olds can't.